Toni Itkin's Blog

Persistence may prove to be exceedingly important to a home seller. In fact, a persistent home seller may be better equipped than others to reap the benefits of a fast, profitable property selling experience.

Now, let's take a look at three tips to help you become a persistent home seller.

1. Analyze the Real Estate Market

Persistence and confidence often go hand-in-hand. And if a seller allocates time and resources to learn about the housing sector, he or she can build the confidence needed to remain persistent throughout the home selling journey.

Take a look at the prices of available houses in your city or town that are similar to your own residence. By doing so, you can see how your house stacks up against the competition and identify innovative ways to differentiate your residence from the pack.

Furthermore, it may be beneficial to look at the prices of recently sold residences in your area. This housing market data can help you determine whether you're preparing to enter a seller's or buyer's market.

2. Set an Aggressive Initial Home Asking Price

A persistent home seller will take a data-driven approach to establish a competitive initial asking price for his or her residence. That way, this seller can set an aggressive home price that will help his or her residence stir up plenty of interest as soon as it becomes available.

Conducting a home appraisal offers a quick, easy way to receive an expert property valuation. It usually only takes a few days to receive a home appraisal report. Once a seller has this report, he or she can use it to set an aggressive initial home asking price.

3. Hire a Real Estate Agent

Even a persistent home seller realizes that he or she may struggle to navigate the home selling journey alone. Thankfully, if you hire a real estate agent, you can receive comprehensive support at each stage of the home selling cycle.

A real estate agent is committed to helping a home seller enjoy a seamless property selling experience. He or she will work directly with a seller and keep him or her up to date throughout the house selling process. As a result, a home seller and real estate agent together can maximize the value of any house, at any time.

In addition, a real estate agent is resourceful and will do whatever it takes to promote a residence to the right groups of buyers. He or she will host open house events and home showings and provide a property seller with plenty of feedback. Best of all, a real estate agent maintains constant communication with a house seller. And if a seller has questions, a real estate agent is ready to answer these queries.

For home sellers who want to achieve the best-possible results, persistence is paramount. With the aforementioned tips, anyone can become a persistent home seller and boost the likelihood of a successful house selling experience.

As a home seller, you'll want to do whatever you can to prepare your residence for an open house. By doing so, you can transform your ordinary home into an exceptional one, thereby increasing the likelihood of making an unforgettable first impression on large groups of open house guests.

What does it take to get a residence ready for an open house? Here are three tips to help you update your home, and ultimately, host a memorable open house.

1. Declutter Your Home as Much as Possible

If your hallways, bedrooms and other home areas are loaded with clutter, now is the perfect time to get rid of various unnecessary items. That way, you can show off the true size and beauty of your living space.

For those who have antiques, photographs and other items they want to keep, it may be worthwhile to rent a storage unit. Or, friends and family members may be able to hold on to some of your belongings until you sell your house.

On the other hand, if there are items you need to eliminate immediately, you can always host a yard sale or list items online. You may be able to donate items that are in good condition to local charities as well.

2. Perform Home Exterior Maintenance

Let's face it – no one wants to buy a home with a messy front lawn or cracked siding. However, a home seller who allocates the necessary time and resources to identify home exterior issues can resolve such problems without delay.

Spend some time evaluating your house's exterior – you'll be glad you did. With a close look at your home's exterior, you can establish home maintenance priorities.

Then, get to work. Perform all necessary home exterior repairs, and you can boost your home's chances of making a positive first impression on homebuyers who visit during an open house.

3. Collaborate with a Real Estate Agent

When it comes to preparing for an open house, there's a lot to consider. Fortunately, a real estate agent can help you keep things in perspective and ensure your open house is an instant success.

A real estate agent will teach you everything you need to know about an open house. He or she will offer expert tips to help you get your residence ready for an open house, along with provide insights into what you should expect following the event's completion.

Of course, a real estate agent is happy to help you at each stage of the home selling journey too. This housing market professional will do whatever it takes to help you list a home, price it accordingly and promote it to the right groups of homebuyers consistently.

Make your open house a joyous occasion for both you and potential homebuyers. Use the aforementioned tips, and a home seller can revamp a house's interior and exterior and ensure a residence makes a long-lasting impression on homebuyers.

4. PUT MY EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE TO WORK FOR YOU! SINCE 1992, I'VE BEEN HELPING IN ALL ASPECTS OF REAL ESTATE AND I'D LOVE TO HELP YOU, TOO! CONTACT ME AT 404-229-8242 0R [email protected]

Establishing a homebuying budget can be tough. But for those who want to secure a terrific home at an affordable price, entering the housing market with a budget in hand can make it easy to accelerate the homebuying cycle.

Now, let's take a look at three questions to consider about a homebuying budget.

1. How much money have I saved for a home?

Examine your finances and see how much money is readily available for a home purchase.

Remember, the more money that is at your disposal, the more likely it becomes that you'll be able to secure your dream residence in no time at all.

Although savings are important, it is essential to note that those who have little to no money saved still have plenty of time to get ready for the homebuying journey. And if you start saving a little bit each day, you can move closer to accomplishing your homeownership dreams.

2. Do I need to get a home loan?

In most instances, a homebuyer will need to obtain a home loan so he or she can purchase a residence. Luckily, many lenders are available to help you discover a home loan that matches or surpasses your expectations.

Meet with a variety of lenders in your area – you'll be glad you did. Each lender can provide insights into assorted home loan options, explain how each home loan works and respond to your home loan concerns and questions.

Also, it often helps to get pre-approved for a mortgage. If you have a mortgage available when you enter the real estate market, you'll know exactly how much you can spend on a residence, thereby reducing or eliminating the temptation to overspend on a house.

3. How will my monthly expenses change after I buy a house?

Owning a home is different from renting an apartment. As such, you'll want to account for all potential expenses as you create a homebuying budget.

For example, a homeowner will be responsible for any home cable, internet and phone bills. This property owner also will need to consider any home maintenance costs like those associated with mowing the lawn in summer or removing snow from the driveway in winter.

Crafting a homebuying budget that accounts for your personal finances can be tricky. If you need additional support along the way, lenders may be able to provide expert tips to ensure you can acquire a wonderful house without exceeding your financial limitations.

Lastly, don't forget to reach out to a real estate agent for help along the homebuying journey. A real estate agent is a housing market professional who will go above and beyond the call of duty to assist you in any way possible. From setting up home showings to negotiating with home sellers on your behalf, a real estate agent will make it easy for you to secure a superior home at a budget-friendly price.

Consider the aforementioned homebuying budget questions, and you can speed up the homebuying process.

It’s a difficult time to be a first-time home buyer. Post-recession buyers are wary--and for good reason--of how and when to save money for a down payment on a house. One thing to remember, however, is that it’s always a good time to start saving.

In this article, we’re going to cover the four most useful methods of saving for a down payment on your first home. That way you can feel confident in taking the first and most important step toward homeownership.

Choosing the right savings account

Unlike riskier investments, a savings account is a safe and proven way of building interest and saving for a home. However, not all savings accounts are created equal.

Typically, brick and mortar banks offer interest rates that are low--the current national average is only about 0.06% annually. While these banks offer conveniences such as in-network ATMs and check-cashing, their physical locations make them expensive to run.

Enter the online bank. Since online banks don’t have all of the costs associated with running branches, they can afford to offer better rewards--namely, high-interest returns on your savings accounts.

So, should you take all of your money out of your current savings account and transfer it to an online bank? Maybe. But let’s talk about the benefits of having multiple savings accounts.

Open a dedicated account with automatic deposits

Saving isn’t just difficult due to financial reasons. Managing money also takes time and effort. To simplify this process, it’s preferable to direct deposit or automatically transfer a percentage of your weekly income into your down payment savings account.

While it may seem like pinching pennies at first, even small weekly deposits add up, and within a few years the compounding interest can earn you enough for a higher down payment than you thought possible.

Prioritize high-interest debt now

Have student debt or a car loan that’s keeping you from focusing on saving for a down payment? Oftentimes the best coarse of action is to aggressively pay off high-interest loans. In the long term, this will save you money that can then be used toward a down payment.

For debt that will take several years to pay off, consider refinancing for a lower interest rate, or consolidating your student loans. Speaking with a student loan adviser or financial planner is a good first step to take toward managing your debt.

Make a real budget

Most of us think of a verb when we hear the word “budget.” However, it’s more useful as a noun.

Creating a real budget, whether it’s in Excel, Google Sheets, or with the help of an app, having a budget you can refer to once a week is vital to making good savings decisions. It will help you monitor your spending and stay on top of your savings goals.

CONTACT ME TO HELP YOU FIND THE PERFECT HOUSE FOR YOUR BUDGET.....404-29-8242 OR [email protected]

After moving one of two things can happen when it comes to being organized. The first is that you have no idea where to even begin. The second? You realize you have way too much stuff and nowhere to put it.

This is where hiring a professional organizer comes in. Like absolute magicians, they can all of your stuff, factor in your lifestyle and create a system that keeps your organized and tidy.

When working with a professional organizer there are some things you should know beforehand.

The first being that, while their skills at creating systems to keep your home and clutter managed ca feel magical… they aren’t magicians. What I mean by this is that, once they finish the project it’s on you to maintain all their hard work and your investment.

And while a great organizer will design a system that works best for you that doesn’t mean it will just naturally happen. You need to be prepared, and willing, to make changes in your daily behaviors and habits.

Be prepared to get really vulnerable. Aka they are going to need to see your cluttery mess in all its glory so that they can design the best system to handle it. They need an accurate portrayal of what your daily struggle truly looks like. You will also need to be honest about your day to day behaviors, even if it’s embarrassing and a little painful to admit out loud.

Here’s the thing if you tidy up beforehand or aren’t completely your organizer won’t be able to create a system that truly works for you. It will be for the person who is just a little bit tidier and doesn’t have those embarrassing behaviors. And this person just doesn’t exist in your day to day reality!

Take their organizational style into account. Some organizers are working in the trenches with you side by side. And others go at it solo and bring you in after to show off their hard work and educate you on what steps need to be taken to maintain it.

Have a budget and list of prioritized “zones” to tackle beforehand. Know how much of your organizer's time you’re able to invest in. This will help you to formulate a plan of action and decide which rooms have the loudest cry for help.

Again, perhaps the most important piece is that you be committed to maintaining your new orderliness. Even when it gets hard and you slip up. This is going to take time and practice. So be patient with yourself and recognize that it’s all a work in progress. There will be backslides and that’s okay, it’s a part of the process. What’s important is that you take note of what happened, adjust your plan of action and keep moving forward.

AND IF YOU'RE GETTING READY TO PUT YOUR HOUSE ON THE MARKET, YOU DEFINITELY NEED THIS! BUYERS WANT TO SEE A VERY ORGANIZED, DE-CLUTTERED AND MINIMALLY ACCESSORIZED HOME. I HAVE WONDERFUL RESOURCES THAT CAN HELP YOU, SO PLEASE GIVE ME A CALL FOR THIS OR ANY REAL ESTATE NEED. I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU! 404-229-8242 OR [email protected]